Chapter 10-
Sue's test was probably the more interesting of all the one's Reed had done. If Reed had known that Sue still felt for him he probably wouldn't have allowed Lisa to sit in, her eyes as large as soup tureens. But he didn't know that he'd start talking about what they had before.
"You should be able to bend light around other objects. Even people if you could control your emotional state better," Reed said. Sue stiffened and Lisa winced visibly at his poor choice of words.
"Excuse me?" Sue asked, her voice cold.
"I'm saying if you had a little more self-control you could locate the trigger. Do you remember your exact emotions on the bridge?" Reed asked. Sue had folded her arms, but then she looked embarrassed and angry again as she remembered. Sue had also said earlier that she had told Lisa what had happened so Lisa didn't look surprised at his line of questioning.
"Anger. Rage. Frustration," Sue said every one of those emotions in her voice as she listed them.
"Okay. Is there any way to duplicate that feeling? Some memory or-"Reed started to ask.
'I'm sure I can come up with something," Sue said, a smug grin on her face. Reed had an idea of what she meant and apparently so did Lisa.
"Sue, you can't kill Uncle Reed. There'll be too many witnesses," Lisa pointed out from the metal table she was sitting on.
"I won't kill him, Lisa. I just feel like it," Sue snapped, her body starting to disappear.
"How's that coming?" Reed asked, looking up at Sue. Sue could only be visible through the glass in front of him that monitored her and sent the results to him through his computer.
The next moment shocked Reed as a force field came out of Sue and knocked him backwards.
"Uncle Reed!" Lisa exclaimed as she and Sue ran to help him up.
"I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Sue asked apologetically.
"Yeah," Reed said as he stood.
"Are you sure?" Sue asked concern in her blue eyes.
"Yup," Reed said as he, Lisa, and Sue cleaned the paperwork he had dropped.
"I, uh, I really thought that was some form of late hostility," Sue said, smiling ruefully as she picked up papers and handed them to Reed.
"I wonder what gave you that idea," Reed muttered. "I mean, you broke up with me right?" Reed asked as Sue was leaving. She turned back, the cheery, fake smile on her face.
"Are you kidding?" Sue asked.
"No. I distinctly recall you walked out my door, ergo," Reed said, forgetting all about Lisa.
"I was ready for the next step. You weren't, ergo, I walked," Sue said, a slight edge to her words.
"I think it was more complicated than that," Reed said, turning back to his desk. He then noticed Lisa, who seemed to be following the whole conversation with interest.
"I just wanted to marry you. What was so complicated about that?" Sue wanted to know.
"There were a lot of variables to consider," Reed said, knowing his excuse sounded lame.
"No there weren't. Lisa hadn't even come to live with you yet. I could have helped you raise her if we had married. There was you and me. There were no variables. No math. It was actually the simplest thing in the world, but as always, Reed, your head got in the way," Sue said, walking to him, her eyes flashing angrily.
"No it didn't," Reed snapped.
"Then what was it?" Sue asked sharply. For a long moment they stood there in silence. Reed then looked over at Lisa. Her brown eyes bored into his. "Did you feel anything when I left? Do you feel anything right now?" Sue asked.
Reed felt a painful tightening in his chest. "I did, but when Lisa came into my life and I became her guardian it helped ease the pain. Her pain and what she had been through with Scott made me forget. I wanted to help her get over it," Reed confessed.
"Uncle Reed, if my dad hadn't of died and I hadn't have come when I did would you have gone after Sue?" Lisa asked, her brown eyes like mirror glass.
"I don't know, Lisa," Reed said, wrapping his arms around Lisa's shoulders and hugging her tightly. Reed's eyes widened causing Sue and Lisa to look towards the door.
Johnny came towards them, his shirt with huge burned holes in it. "I think we've got a serious problem." Reed let go of Lisa, looked apologetically at Sue, and then turned his attention to Johnny.
&
The next few days' tests were different. Uncle Reed was writing equations and looking at each one of the outfits they had worn when the cloud hit them. Lisa had hoped she would never see the uniform she had worn, but Uncle Reed said it was important when he had them shipped over from von Doom. He said that chances were that the uniforms might have the same powers as them.
"Our uniforms were exposed to the storm like us. So they can transform like us," Uncle Reed explained a few days later in the living room. They all, except Uncle Ben, wore their uniforms.
"So, if I walk through a wall, wearing this, the uniform will do the same thing?" Lisa asked, from her seat besides Uncle Ben.
"Basically. Walking through walls, becoming invisible, changing size on a man, or making on purpose a flame," Uncle Reed said, standing up.
"Heh. You guys look like an eighties rock band," Uncle Ben joked, a cup in his hand. Uncle Reed looked at his suit as they all did, but it couldn't be helped that they looked bad.
"You know, Ben, this material stretches. I'm sure we could figure out a way to make you big," Sue pointed out, holding Uncle Ben's uniform in her hands.
"No. No. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that," Uncle Ben said.
"I love these costumes," Johnny enthused, causing everyone to look at them.
"You would. If it's the same to you, Uncle Reed, I think I'm going to change back into my regular clothes. If you can't find a cure I'll just be like Rouge in X-Men and wait a few years," Lisa said, thinking of one of her favorite movies.
"If that's what you want, Lisa. And they are not costumes," Uncle Reed said to Johnny.
"You can't use your powers in public, Johnny," Sue said, sounding exasperated.
"You guys are worse than NASA," Johnny said, turning away.
"Johnny!" Sue snapped.
"Johnny, she's right. We can't live like this. This is worse than living with Dad, but at least there's a cure. Right, Uncle Reed?" Lisa asked.
"I hope there is. I'm going to try to find one now since I'm done with the tests. I just wanted you to have the uniforms," Uncle Reed said.
"The only thing that's missing is the utility belt," Uncle Ben joked, taking a drink.
"You know, if Uncle Reed finds a cure we could have Johnny torch them for us," Lisa teased.
"Yeah. Right. Why would I do that?" Johnny asked.
"Because maybe it wouldn't kill you to do something nice for once instead of being a girl-crazy jerk!" Lisa snapped. Everyone stared at her in shock.
"Lisa?" Uncle Reed asked.
"Sorry, Uncle Reed. I'm just tired of him and his teasing. And another thing, Mr. Storm, I don't like being called Shorty. You call me that again and I'm going to throw you against the wall. You're going to find out I'm the only one around here who can go through walls," Lisa said as she stormed off.
&
Lisa was in her room, tossing an old baseball her father had given her when she was five. That day her father had been in a rare good mood and it was her birthday. An arm shot out, grabbing the ball before she could catch it.
Lisa looked towards the doorway. Uncle Reed looked at her, his eyes not as warm as usual. "Lisa, why did you do that? Johnny and Sue are our guests. I know he gets on your nerves, but a big person would overlook Johnny's faults," Uncle Reed said sternly.
"I'm not as patient as you, Uncle Reed. The guy's annoying," Lisa protested.
"I know he is, but if you argue with him you are no better than he is. I expect you to treat Johnny kindly. That is not a request, Lisa," Uncle Reed said, his voice allowing no argument.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Reed," Lisa said in a small voice, tears pricking her eyelids. Her uncle wasn't her father, but having him angry with her hurt.
"I'm not the one you should apologize to. I want you to apologize to Johnny right now," Uncle Reed ordered.
"Do I have to?" Lisa asked uncertainly.
"Yes you do. Now go apologize," Uncle Reed said. Lisa left the room, wondering how to apologize. She didn't think Uncle Reed would like the 'Anne of Green Gables' apology if she tried it.